Caught in the Crossfire
by Sassirin
Summary: Levi is the Trost Police Force's strongest leading officer,and to him, Eren Jaeger is just the annoying kid living in his in his apartment complex that seems to love being around him. And it's supposed to be just that; but once Eren gets involved with a criminal syndicate, everything goes downhill and it turns out that no one get out of trouble without a few burns. (NEW VERSION)
1. Sounds Like Criminals

**[ Author's Notes ]**

Alright, the prologue! ..right, it's been months since I promised this remake version and I'm sorry about that. A lot of things came up during that time and I was really stressed so updating was the least of my worries.

In any case, this fic is back and it's ready to be written, so please do enjoy and I hope you still stay with it.

Also, some things to note: it's a little easy to assume but please don't believe that the setting of this fic is in Japan, America, or even in the Shingeki Universe because it's not. Most likely, it'll seem similar to that of manga/anime Japan setting but that's not necessarily correct. The universe that this fic takes place in is the "Caught in the Crossfire" Universe. The current city that they live in is called **Trost**. That's something to first note. Throughout the series, I'll be mapping out and describing the universe so don't dwell too much on it.

Thanks!

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**Prologue**

_Sounds Like Criminals_

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"…_The police are still lacking sufficient evidence and leads that can verify whether last Monday's bank height was really the responsibility of the Titans or not_—"

As the reporter on the television continued on about a current police investigation, Levi sat to himself at the dining room table, huddled over a few sheets of paper that were scattered across the table surface. The sleeves of his long, white button-up were pulled and folded up until his elbows. His hand reached for an old, white-dented coffee mug and brought it close to his lips, his dark, sunken eyes remaining attentive to his papers as he took in a sip.

There was a lot on the papers that he had to go over—civil rights, laws, criminal psychology. A lot of stuff that dealt with subject like law enforcement and policing; they were a slight annoyance but the police examination was no laughing matter.

The effort wasn't smooth-sailing, though; a lot of banging and stomping was going on outside in the hall, and although he wouldn't say it bothered him from concentrating, it was easily noticeable.

"…_If things continue any longer, the police report that the case may have to be put in suspension until new evidence finally surfaces_—"

"And that's because you guys are looking in the wrong places," spat out a tall brunette, clad in a casual blue jumper ensemble with a white inside shirt. A hand on her hips while the other pushed her glasses upwards on the bridge of her nose, her lips were pulled into a disapproved thin line as she continued. "If you guys just connected the evidence with the forensics team, then you'd be able to get a damn clue—"

"_Hanji_," Interrupting the brunette's rant, he looked up from his paperwork and tossed her a sideways glance, silent in his appearance but with a firm resolution. "Go and check what's going on outside."

"Outside?" The brunette—Hanji—repeated, confused, but then blinked herself out of it once the clatter of sounds and thumps suddenly became more clearer and distinct to her ears. "How long has it been like this? I didn't even notice there was going on!"

And it made sense that she hadn't noticed; ever since the news report on the Titans had sprung up, she'd been hell-bent on spitting out criticisms against the local police.

For about five months, the headlines and news reports had almost always included something about the Titans—a growing criminal syndicate running amuck in the city of Trost. They were nothing but a bunch of criminals that came out of nowhere, inconspicuous the first time they struck a crime and then suddenly asking for fame. The police had called them out as an odd bunch; the public was dubbing them nothing more than child's play that could easily be put away.

To them, their own as it's said—in this case, however, the public was nothing but dead wrong.

"That's a lot of noise for a Saturday afternoon. I bet that it's some kids playing ball or something, don't you think, Levi?" Hanji grinned, quickly peering over her shoulder to glance at him and then heading towards the door.

"Hn."

At the table, Levi merely gave a small note of indifference, fluidly returning his attention back onto his paperwork. He reached for his coffee mug again and sipped, putting it off to the side once again after he finished.

"Levi! Guess what?" From under the doorway, Hanji let out an excited squeal as she continued to peek out into the hall. "It looks like you've got new neighbors!"

"Fantastic," Levi responded, still maintaining his one-sided rapt attention on the papers in front of him. "How far down are they?"

"About two doors down, maybe?" Hanji said, looking all the more interested and curious as she continued stay hidden behind the door. "And it looks like it's a family!" she announced. "I'm thinking a young couple, most likely some kind of a doctor and a housewife. I'm guessing they're pretty humble considering their choice of living arrangements, and they might be from the countryside outside of Trost." Hanji grinned, once again peering back at Levi. "Oh! And it looks they have a kid too! I think it's a boy."

Again, for the umpteenth time, Levi hadn't bothered much with a response, absorbed in his studies. The fact that the one of the first police exams were coming up in less than a week gave more than an incentive in leading the entire core of his focus on meager topics that he'd rather not indulge. After all, his brain capability was nothing like Hanji's who'd finish her reviews in less than a day or two and not even with one cup of coffee.

Also, he wasn't one to personally go out of his way to meet his neighbors unless for a good reason. He'd met more than half of the neighbors around him with occasional run-ins, a short instance of eye contact and nothing else. Their names barely phased into his memory because he'd only heard of them once by hearsay, and by then, he'd only dub them by what he saw.

Next door on his right lived an old, elderly couple who spent their days tending to their small garden on their balcony as well as their three cats; sometimes they'd see him and smile but Levi wouldn't blame them if they consistently forgot his name.

In front of him was a family of four; the man of the house was a salary man who seemed to be reaching more than just a few bumps on the road, always screaming with his wife so loud that it could walk the entire apartment complex. Levi had only met him once to report that the man was too loud and bothersome for yelling so late into the night. It had only taken that one notification for the man to avoid Levi like a plague, and after that, Levi never spoke to him again.

Their daughters, on the other hand, were two high schools girls who were quieter than the mice that crawled between the walls. Levi often forgot that they existed but it wasn't if he does it on purpose.

And then, on his left, there was a young man in his late twenties that seemed to only be bent on spending the better half of his life playing virtual reality games—at least that was what Levi saw when he went to deliver a message from the landlord once. The guy was always holed up in his apartment so Levi barely saw much of him as well.

Neighbor interactions were rare and few which was why he decided to just introduce himself at some other point, if only to keep tabs on them in the case they were connected to criminal suspicions. It worked once—at one point, Levi had an inkling suspicion that the man who lived to the right of the salary man worked for an underground drug trade, especially considering the smell of it was clear as day but no one had the guts to inquire.

Levi never met the man, and obviously, that might have been the guy's mistake because Levi had the guts, the indifference, and the bluntness of himself to report anything that was criminally suspicious. For him, it had been a walk through the park when he made the report and provided the evidence.

That being said, his suspicions on them were fresh until he got a good look. Just because they had a kid didn't mean that they could be doing bad.

"Hey, Levi, someone's here to see you!"

Hanji said, moving herself next to the doorway and then opening the front door wide. A smile was still on her face as the door creaked to a slop stop fully wide open, and it had been at that point that Levi lifted his head.

In the hall stood a young, brown-haired boy wearing a green shirt and trousers, looking every bit of a countryside local as he bit at his lips.

The boy started, sounding hesitant but nothing close to nervous.

"Ah," he started, his green eyes looking everywhere else into Levi's apartment except on them. The boy's lips twisted into something that looked to be a mix of a nervous scowl and a quivering line, certainly making it obvious that the boy certainly had no clue on what he was doing.

"My…My mom said to meet some neighbors and here I am and that we just moved in right now and," the words just fell out of his mouth like he just wanted to puke and get it over with. "My name is Eren and…" There was a bit of stumble as he finished, but he still made himself to look as awkward as the bright orange tiles on the island counter in Levi's kitchen. "My name is Eren."

On the side, Hanji cooed and clasped her hands together out of delight, finding the Eren's awkward greeting.

"Aren't you precious?" Grinning, she came close to the doorway and leant forward, placing her hands on her lap as she tried to meet Eren's eye level. "It's nice to meet you, Eren! My name is Hanji," she said, pointing at herself and jabbing a thumb behind her. "And that guy over there is Levi. He's actually your real next door neighbor." She looked back at Levi. "Levi, you should say hi him too!"

At the table, Levi crossed his arms and leaned back slightly away. "Hi, kid," was all that he said as he stared Eren stared Eren down. "What's your name, again?"

Squirming in his feet, Eren answered, albeit a little unsure. "It's Eren?"

"Right."

"Levi, you're going to scare him away if you keep glaring at him like that." Hanji snickered before returning her attention back onto Eren for a moment and then at Levi again. Amused, she prodded a thought to Levi, "Why don't we go walk him back to his place? That way, you could meet his parents and get to know your neighbors?"

"No."

"Why not?" Hanji grinned, pointing at Eren. "It looks like they could be the normal neighbors you've always wanted." And then she snapped her fingers as another thought came. "Plus, we've also got a good chance to check them!"

"What does that mean?" Eren asked, curious as he peered up at Hanji. "Why do you have to check us? I swear, we didn't see steal anything.. My mom is especially good." His lip quivered slightly if only because that idea alone made him nervous.

At the sight of it, Hanji cooed once again. There were small pools of tears forming at the corner of Eren's eyes and it was pretty obvious that he wasn't aware of them. He looked as though he was trying hard not to be the least bit bothered by the suggestion but the clear, nervous and slightly desperate lip quiver was giving him away.

"We're checking you guys out because your introduction made it sound like your mom was a criminal sneaking up on us." Levi stood up from his chair and then crossed his arms once again.

From the side, Hanji shook her head with a smile on her face; Levi's sense of humor was horrible.

"Your mom's probably the criminal mastermind, isn't she?"

"No!" Eren shook his head rapidly, the locks of his hair swaying back and forth. "My mom isn't a criminal! Take it back!" The former nervous and apprehensive look that had entirely defined Eren just a moment ago disappeared and was immediately replaced by a scowling one.

A pout formed on Eren's lips as he stomped his feet consistently. "Take it back! Take it back!" The kid looked almost like he was to cry with the way his lip started to quiver and his eyes continued to stare up at him. "_Mooooom!_"

And with that, Eren had run off back to his own apartment.

Hanji shook her head.

"Levi, you're terrible. Your sense of humor is horrible."

"At least I don't break out the shitty puns."

"_Orange_ you glad that I don't say them often, though?" The deafening and hardened stare that Levi tossed to her was nothing close to amused. "Alright, alright, are we going to meet to your neighbors and explain to them why their son just ran home almost in tears just a few minutes they moved in or not?"

"Then _move_."

There was barely any resistance as Hanji's lips curled into amusement and tried to push away the strong urge to laugh.

"Greetings," she started. A snicker escaped her lips as she continued. "Are you the new neighbors that just moved in?"

"Why, yes," A dark-haired woman replied, an earnest smile on her lips as she bit back any remnants of surprise and curiosity in her expression. "I'm Carla Jaeger. My husband and my son, Eren, just moved in today." And as if on cue, she moved out of the way to reveal a cautious Eren gripping onto the back of her dress, keeping his full attention all on Levi. "Eren, I thought you said you already met them? Why are you hiding?"

Eren shook his head and then pointed a finger towards Levi. "Mom, that guy called you a criminal!"

"You're mistaken, kid." Levi cut in, eyes glancing down at Eren for a moment and then flickering to Carla, completely unmoved by the accusation. "I said that it was criminal for your mom and dad to decide to move in at this ungodly hour in the afternoon."

All Eren could do was gape at the obvious lie that Levi gave while Hanji's lips twitched into a knowing smile.

Another voice interrupted.

"I'm afraid that it really was a mistake on our part," a man that they guessed could only be Eren's dad stepped up, offering a smile as he placed his hands on Carla's shoulders. "We didn't expect city traffic to be as quite as busy than it was when we left early morning. But better late than never, right?" He chuckled low as he extended a hand out towards Levi. "Grisha Jaeger. It's very nice to meet you." He nodded towards the bespectacled brunette.

"Levi." Levi introduced, ignoring Hanji's addition of "And I'm Hanji!" as he continued, taking the handshake with a nod. "Welcome to the neighborhood. If there's anything you need to do, ask someone else in the front desk."

At this, Grisha laughed, accepting and taking Levi's joke in good stride. On the other hand, Hanji shook her head to herself—Levi's humor really needed work.

"I'm sorry, but may I ask?" Carla piped up, looking between Levi and Hanji, curiosity in her eyes. "Are you two…?'

"Yes," Hanji answered with a chirp. "We're students at the local Police Academy. We're also nineteen years old if that was what you were wondering." She finished with a smile. "You might see me often at Levi's place because we're placed in the same training unit."

"I see…"

Although Carla was a little perplexed, Eren was not. His eyes grew wide as he gazed in some kind of awe at both Hanji and Levi, jaw dropped. "You're police officers?"

"That's right, Eren!" Hanji grinned, pointing out a finger. "We're police officers in training, so obviously, we're pretty good guys!" And then she gestured towards Levi. "Levi can be a little too blunt at times so that's why he needs practice! Make sure you visit him _whenever_ you want to, okay?"

"Okay!" Eren chirped, eyes glistening in excitement.

Meanwhile, Levi gave a hidden jab towards Hanji's side, to which the brunette uttered a small guttural noise but not quite giving out. His eyes returned back down onto Eren, who had changed from looking at him with uncertainty to something of admiration and high regard. He merely put it off as nothing, soon leaving the Jaegers with a just a curt nod of a farewell and returning back to his apartment with Hanji in tow.

However, little did Levi expect that Eren was going to be anything more than the annoying kid who lived in his apartment complex.

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**Fin.**

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Ahaha. Oh, Hanji. Carla was really asking whether they were in a relationship. ;D But Hanji is so smooth. Learn from Hanji, guys. Avoid awkward questions the HANJI-WAY.

And Levi's humor. I think we all know how his humor should be like.

Anyways, this chapter is the prologue. Eren is five years old, while Levi and Hanji are nineteen years old. For those who have read this fic before, **there is still a time-skip**.

And please leave review if you can! They make me happy. ^^

Also, you can find me as **sassirin** at **tumblr**! It's a SnK blog, and sometimes, I post fics there.

Any questions, concerns, comments—please feel free to tell me! And really, thank you so much for reading!

P.S. I kind of messed up half-way into this chapter. I'm sorry about the characterizations. I'll rewrite the prologue sometime in the future!


	2. Go Home, Eren

**...I don't know if I messed up in this one or not.**

**I promise I'll take rewrite it sometime in the future, guys! D: For now, please bare with this mess of a chapter**.

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**Chapter 1**

_Go Home, Eren_

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**[ Two Years Later... ]**

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The room was engulfed in a near darkness by the time the clock read half past five o'clock in the morning, silent in accompaniment to the soundless, early morning that barely began to peek. A minute later and a muffled buzz sounded off from the side, coming from his overturned cell phone that had been forgotten on the night stand next to his bed.

Placidly, Levi slowly opened his eyes, drifting one hand over to rub at the both of them while his other hand reached out for his phone. He cleared his throat as he answered, "What."

"Good morning, Levi!"

"_Hurry up_,"

On the other side of the line, Hanji laughed for a moment, far away from the receiver as she continued. "I didn't mean to bother your beauty sleep, Levi, but," And at this point, her voice lowered, a serious gaze conjured up in her eyes as she looked behind her, over her shoulder at a sight that had gathered policemen and firemen alike. "A fire just broke out at Langner."

Levi brought himself sitting up fully, leaning against the bed's headboard. "What's the state?"

"More than just a third-degree burn, I'm afraid." Hanji pulled away for a moment and gave out some more commands to her squad. Things needed to be photographed, evidence documented. Almost immediately, she returned back to the phone, "Sorry about that. Listen, Erwin needs you down at the station earlier than usual today. At seven and a half sharp if possible; eight is when the meeting starts. Make sure your squad's on time too. _T-class special_."

There was a silence on his part as he brought a hand up towards the temples of his head. There was nothing like a T-class special to get his day started. "Got it. See you then."

As soon as he ended the call, Levi made a quick text to Petra and then left his cell phone back on the night stand, swinging his legs onto the side of his bed and getting himself up standing. Until a moment ago, the room had been dark, silent in accompaniment to the early morning. A few minutes later and sunlight finally decided to peek through, even if just a little bit, gradually sinking about less than a quarter of the room in a soft wave of light.

The moment that his feet touched the cold, hard floor, he immediately went to shake himself and his body out of it—out of its numbed daze. He stretched his arms behind his neck, satisfied to hear a clean 'pop' from his stiff shoulders. There was a good burn in the small of his back as he stretched downwards, reaching for the floor fluidly and nimbly and placing both palms down up to the count of ten.

The red digital numbers of his clock read six in the morning by the time he had entered his bathroom from across and had shut the door behind with a twist of its lock, a towel hanging off his arm. He only glanced at himself at the mirror for a quick moment just before his fingers reached for the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over, sliding off the top off his head. The shorts and his undergarments came off in one fluid movement, stripped bare as he entered into his shower.

The morning was cold, a slight chill grazing the air and even he had to grit at his teeth from the feel of it. All the hot water that fell onto his skin felt good, droplets of liquid sliding down a toned abdomen and racing down its creases and indents to slowly graze the bare skin of his navel and legs. It warned his body, burned him in a way that felt satisfying.

Once it got too hot, it switched it over to the cold and he was fine with that.

A soft, black-pressed tie slipped into the formed looped and was then immediately pulled tight and firm, just tugged a few more times just to be safe. The feeling of its cold exterior had felt nice to his touch as Levi tried to adjust any misplacement of his knot. As soon as he finished, he took one step back away from the full-length mirror hanging on his closet door, his sunken eyes making sure that not a nook or cranny was out of place in his uniform.

His fingers ran alongside the buttons of his blue, long-sleeved police uniform, double-checking if each button had been popped securely. The cuffs of his shirt were folded accordingly; the bottom pants pressed nicely and clean without a wrinkle from being ironed and vacuumed at least twice. The shine on his black shoes glistened nicely against the bedroom's lightning and earned a low grunt of approval from him as he continued with his uniform scan.

Disappointment only came once his eyes landed on a noticeable small stain around the heart of his shirt. The fact that it existed was beyond him but it wouldn't stay long. It had taken not even one moment of hesitation for him to pull out a handkerchief from his pocket and attempt to rub out the spot away, dabbing a corner of it with some of his saliva. However, much to his clear disagreement, the stain was not yielding to his attempts.

A thin line formed on his lips as he immediately undid the top half of his police attire and went to throw it into the a laundry hamper in his bathroom. A new uniform was taken out of his closer later, the ironing- board pulled back from the other side of the closet door and subjecting the new top through two rounds of ironing.

The shirt was eventually slipped on over once it gained a silent nod of approval and the buttons were quickly done in haste for a new once-over of himself in the mirror. Finally settled, all that was heard as he grabbed his phone and wallet before leaving his bedroom and marching down the hall were the distinct clicks and tops of his shoes.

Levi entered into the conjoined room of his living space with his chin up, immediately heading towards his left for the kitchen. After leaving the hall was one rectangular-shaped room that was divided into three different areas—the living room taking the right side, the kitchen taking the lower left, and the dining room taking the upper left, each distributed accordingly. All it took was one quick turn towards the left for him to reach his small kitchen and then a few more steps forward to arrive to his smaller dining room.

To any other person, perhaps the one thing that would be noted was the fact that the kitchen looked more than ideal for something so small and cramped. It seemed that everything was spick and span—all the dishes were stacked against each other in the upper cupboards, surfaces clean and clear with not a speck of dirt to be seen. The pots and pans that hung off hooks on the walls glinted against the kitchen lightning, everything organized according to size. The kitchen sink looked almost brand new if not for one of the knobs being broken, but nevertheless, it appeared as if there was no place for dirt or stains on it.

As soon as Levi had stepped into the kitchen, he pulled out a loaf of bread and some butter from the fridge, placing it on the main kitchen island, its surface so polished and spotless. Two slices of bread were taken out and placed onto a plate he'd gotten, soon getting slathered with butter. Pressing the slices together and placing the sandwich on the plate, he turned around again to brew some coffee and been nothing but content at that point until the sight of leftover crumbs caught his eye once he turned back around.

There was a small bite missing from the corner of his sandwich, crumbs left as a trace around the plate on the island's surface. A small frown formed on his lips as he narrowed his eyes, turning around and reaching into the cabinet under the sink for a bottle of Windex and a dish rag.

Although anyone would say that it was a mysterious culprit, Levi knew all too well that there weren't many people that he'd invite into his home and neither was there any people living with him. The culprit was as clear as day to him, and as soon as he finished cleaning up the mess until it was unmarred, he put everything away with a clear command in his tone.

"If you're in here, you better come out now," he called out. I'm not even going to give you until the count of ten. Haul your ass out here now."

As he put the cleaning materials away, a small brunet stepped out into the open, coming out from the hallway with his cheeks slightly plumped until he swallowed. Just as Levi expected, in less than a few seconds, the boy immediately ran towards him, completely clinging onto his leg. When he looks down, he's met with the sight of the boy grinning up at him, a near full set of the boy's teeth missing.

"Corporal, corporal!" the boy chirped happily and then brought his small fingers up the corners of his mouth. He pulled and the stretched his mouth wide open, his tongue lapping at the empty spaces where his two front teeth should be. "Look, my teeth are missing!"

"That's great."

Levi bent down to meet the seven-year old's eye level, his hand ruffling the boy's head. "Now, how'd you get in here, Eren?" Although he was waiting for an answer, Levi stood up, snatching the sandwich plate on the island and making his way to the dining room table.

Eren followed along, but not before crossing his fingers over his heart. "That's classified information, sir."

"_Eren_."

"I can't say." Eren brought a finger against his lips. His eyes sparkled as he took note of the sandwich on Levi's plate. "Ah! I want peanut butter and jelly on mine!" And then he added. "And toasted too!"

Standing next to the dining room table, Levi crossed his arms, looking at Eren expectedly. "Then tell me how you got in."

A look of guilt crossed Eren's features as he dipped his head low. "Hanji made a key for me."

If Levi was a different guy, he'd face-palm himself at this mention—but he didn't, sanity all kept in place but just a little loose.

"Can I have a peanut-jelly sandwich now?"

"_No_. Go back to your own apartment, brat."

Although he said that, nothing stopped him from still going to the kitchen pantry and taking out two jars—one of peanut butter and the other of jelly. On the kitchen island, the toaster was plugged in afterwards and then filled with bread slices, a toasty scent slowly beginning to fill the air. At the sight and smell of it, another grin appeared on Eren's lips as his expression lit up, an obvious sign of delight swelling within himself.

A ding had come from the toast not a second too soon, and as Levi went to finish up on his brewed coffee, Eren scrambled onto one of the small chairs on the other side of the island, climbing up for the two pieces of bread and placing them onto a plate that Levi had put on the side. All that was left was for Levi to make the sandwich before the two finally sat down at the dining table, Levi with his own sandwich and coffee and Eren with his own.

A small twinkle of curiosity glistened in Eren's eyes as he watched Levi take sips from his coffee, sooner putting a hand towards it.

"Corporal," Eren started, with his hand reaching out. "Can I have some coffee too?"

"You'll have milk."

"But—!"

"I said no." And not another word of protest came from Eren as he watched Levi stand up for a clean glass and the carton of milk in the fridge. A cold glass of milk was slid in front of Eren in the next moment and his disappointment in this feat caused a slightly upset frown to form on his lips.

A bout of silence came over them for a while, neither one attempting to speak over the crunches and chews from eating their breakfast. It had only come to an end once Levi finally gave Eren permission to take a_ small sip_ of the coffee.

Needless to say, Eren took the drink like a prize to his eyes, the cup carefully held close to his lips and tipping it slowly to take in more than just a sip. All of his expectations weren't met as Eren soon gagged out in disgust, lips souring from the bitter taste left on his tongue.

"Corporal, it's _gross_." He spat with a whine, letting his tongue hang out.

"That's because it's for adult tastes, brat."

"I am an adult!"

Levi only spared him a moment before resting his chin on the palm of his hand and leaning forward.

"Say, Eren."

"Hm?" Eren was back to eating his sandwich.

"_What are you doing here_?"

Eren could not have looked more like a deer caught in headlines by the way he stopped and diverted his attention immediately, eyes just slightly wide in his obvious guilt. The sandwich was long forgotten; left on his plate as Eren continued to turn his head away, looking at almost every spot in the room.

Almost every day, or perhaps more than just a times each week, he always came over, dropping by Levi's apartment like it were his second home. There was no routine to it, but Eren was always visiting—in the mornings, in the afternoons, or sometimes at night.

"Eren, I asked why you're here."

"I'm hungry, sir."

"Then go home." Levi said, before reaching over and tapping at the table to get Eren's full attention. "And you know what I meant. How come you're not at school?"

There was a slump in Eren's shoulders as he slouched, looking guilty. "I got in a fight at school last week and," He paused, starting to divert his attention away once again. "My suspension started yesterday and I'm not allowed to go back to school it's over."

"Huh," Levi said, leaning back into his seat and crossing his arms. "Now, why are you here in my apartment?"

"I'm grounded too."

"Does your mother know you're here?"

"…_Yes_?"

"Alright, and what did she say?"

"Have fun?"

"Eren."

"Yes, corporal?"

"_Go home_."

Levi finished, firm and resolute in his tone as he stood up and grabbed his empty plate and cup, heading out to put them away in the sink. "Finish up and go home. Or take it and go home. Doesn't matter what you choose, just _go home_."

While Eren continued to slowly finish up his sandwich, Levi glanced at his cell phone and noted the time—it was already about fifteen minutes past seven o'clock. There was a hustle in his steps as he made sure everything was set for the day—all doors closed and locked and anything important secured.

"Eren, give that key to me." Levi held his hand out. "I can't have you be in here alone."

A little reluctant, Eren reached for his pocket and took it out, placing it into Levi's open palm with just a little bit of hesitance and some pleading in his eyes. However, having no for an answer was clearly nothing that Levi would accept, so Eren let go of it with his head down, disappointment in his eyes.

"What are we gonna do now, corporal? Can I go with you to the police station—"

"No," was all Levi had said before swooping down and picking Eren up like he was as light as a feather. A sound of protest escaped Eren as Levi hauled him out of the apartment, carried under Levi's arm like a package.

"I'm going to work and you're going back to your _own_ apartment." Levi says as he locked his apartment door and then spun on his heel, strolling down the hall in the direction of Eren's apartment.

"But—"

"_No, buts_."

All of Eren's protests went unheard as Levi continued to carry him back home. "How's your sister and the Arlert kid?"

"Mikasa and Armin?" Eren scrunched his face up in curiosity. "They're in school, so it's boring." A look of endearment crossed his features as Eren pleaded, "Can't I hang out with you at the station?"

"You can't." Levi stopped in front of Eren's apartment, standing behind the boy as he opened the door. Carla Jaeger first looked up in surprise to see Levi standing there before it dwindled into a scolding expression as her eyes caught sight of Eren.

"I'm so sorry, Levi. I thought he was in his room the entire time." She apologized, tossing a look to Eren as she ushered him inside. "Eren, apologize for bothering Corporal Levi."

"I'm sorry…"

If Levi were a different sort of man, he wouldn't accept anything as simple as that.

But he found himself kneeling down in front of Eren, his hand reaching out and ruffling at the boy's hair. "If you're going to get into fights, do it where no one could see you and get you in trouble. That way, you woudn't get detention and always end up in my apartment when you're bored, brat." And then he stood up, lips pursed together as he gave a quick nod to Carla. "There are a lot of things going on nowadays, so it's not safe to let him go out without anyone knowing. The same thing goes for Mikasa."

As soon as he said his farewell, there was an obvious pause in his steps as he then muttered, "Be careful and _stay at home_, Eren."

And with that, Levi left.

* * *

**Fin.**

* * *

**Just some things to note:**

1. I am only referring Rivaille as **Corporal**, because in my case, it's easier to type; simple as that. I am aware that the proper title is _Lance Corporal_ or _Heichou_, but for my purposes, I'm making my life a little easier.

And although I'd rather not use it as a reliable source, according to Wikipedia, is an honorary rank of Police Officer in Japan, often called Senior Police Officer. Though Wikipedia might not be a reliable source, I'm just going to twist it for my use. Therefore, though he is called **Corporal, his rank is that of Captain**, which according to Wiki, is: squad commander.

Also, I messed up half-way in this chapter. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to fly by the "fluff" chapters pretty quickly. I'll make sure to rewrite the Prologue and Chapter 1 in the near future!

I hope you enjoyed this fic! I'd really appreciate any feedback, thank you.


	3. Pokerfaced

**Author's Notes:**

**I hope no one thought I was abandoning this story again! I'm really sorry for not having updated in about a month! April was really hectic and May is just a little bit better. I have one more exam coming up and then I'm free for the most part! I'll keep updates as regular as possible. **

**Anyways, here's the next chapter! I sort of messed up near the end, but I'll fix it some other time. For now, this chapter is a little bit of a filler? Not quite, because there's two parts in this chapter. I'm just trying to introduce some character insight and development. ^^**

**Please review if you can! Also, I'd be happy if you stopped by tumblr and just say hi or something! I've got no friends. ^^;; **

* * *

**Chapter 2**

_Poker-Faced_

* * *

A crick in his neck signaled him to sit up and change his sitting position, a dull pain surging on the right side. As he placed both hands on the arms of the chair, there was a nearly soundless rustle as he lifted himself up towards a more comfortable arrangement. There was inner amusement on his part for having interrupted the monotonous atmosphere, but nonetheless, he reverted his full attention before him.

A joker card sat in between his middle and pointer finger, straightened except for one of its folded upper corners. The card was still very much intact, though, but its bent corner made it stand apart from the rest, even its other counterpart. With a kind of outward mirth in his eyes, he glided that corner against his left cheek repeatedly, slow and almost gently.

The room was dimly lighted by the ceiling chandelier hanging in the center, soft and covered under a cool blanket of shadows. He had his attention on a pyramid of cards that he'd just about constructed just minutes ago, nearly completed with the exception of one more unfinished triangle on the top. The missing pieces for its completion were the joker cards — one held between his fingers, the other lying flat on the desk surface. However, there was some sort of particular fondness for this card with the folded corner.

And that was also where the bulk of his amusement came from — it was _cute_, ironic, that a joker card—something viewed almost always as unnecessary in most games—was needed to reach the top. He found this to be funny.

Contrary to the lightning of the room, there was an unseen ember burning in his eyes as he focused on the pyramid. The corners of his lips were lifted upwards as he thought—searched, _calculated_—how he could about this without letting the pyramid tumble down.

"You look suspicious."

He pursed his lips together as he remained in his seat, unperturbed by the sudden voice that interrupted. A bout of light flashed against him for a moment, but he neither blinked nor faltered, his gaze steeled and heavy. He looked up just to meet the eyes of the male who had just intruded and was standing under the doorway of his office.

"I've been told worse," he responded. There was no coverage in his tone. He sounded truthful, _earnest_, when he had answered.

"That's fuckin' creepy, Erwin."

"You're right, Levi," he agreed, an obvious tone of playfulness as he spoke. Even Levi had to listen in harder to guess at the earnestness of it all. "I guess I can't really blame anyone, though, but what can I do if I have to come off as a little suspicious sometimes?"

Levi stood silent, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the door. Just behind him was something like a whole other world in comparison to Erwin's office. There were people bustling behind him, yells and shouts coming in all directions concerning criminal activity, police requests, and local troubles, any and all that kept the Trost Police Department busy this Monday morning. It was lively and loud.

Levi ran his gaze over the room, wordless. The blinds were closed, little sunlight barely seeping inside; the room was practically dark; and Erwin sat at his desk lone and with a glint in his eyes that loudly spoke volumes in place of the nerving silence of the room.

"It's pretty crude of you to leave the door open while looking so suspicious."

A step inside and Levi closed the door behind him, engulfing himself in the same darkness that Erwin had lived. At this, he clicked his teeth before he thought to make a step forward.

"Turn the lights on already."

There was a moment of silent before Erwin spoke up, "The notch is to your left."

Levi was wordless as he reached to his left and felt for a metallic notch on the wall. Once he found it, he swerved it to the right, causing the chandelier to gradually envelop the office in a soft, warm lightning that contrasted the earlier atmosphere. His vision was clear now — Erwin sitting at his desk under broad light, elbows propped up on the desk with his fingers laced together, a card held between his middle and his finger.

Erwin looked normal, like any other respectable man holding office. He stared at Levi unmoved and unaffected, slow blinks of his eyes and furrowed eyebrows entailing the entirety of his expression as if he seemed to be a simple man under a stern guise. Levi knew that Erwin was much more than that, though; much more frightening than simply not.

Levi strode towards Erwin with fluid but nonchalant footsteps, almost silent except for the dull thumps that sounded off. As he got closer, the pyramid of cards became a much grander sight than from afar, very well-placed and standing tall and strong. He stopped a foot or two before the desk, eyes flickering down at the pyramid.

"Don't call me just to play cards with you."

The worst thing about it was that it was almost all of the cards were aligned perfectly, as if each card had floated to its position rather than placed by human hand. The bottom row of triangles were the disarrayed batch, crooked by a tiny margin but noticeable upon closer inspection. At this point, Levi wasn't even the least bit surprised when the pyramid was formed with cards ranking from higher up to the lowest on top — the joker cards.

"You should know that I don't waste time like that, Levi," Erwin answered. He laced his hands closer together and leaned forward. "I just needed to talk to you." He held out the joker card.

Just then, he hadn't known what compelled him, but when Levi brought his gaze onto the table surface, the other joker card stared him right in the face, lone and somehow distinct.

"Then what are you doing playing with cards?"

There was a smile growing on Erwin's lips, one that was neither done out of delight or in greeting. It was honest, earnest, clear. It matched the glint in Erwin's eyes, the glint that was clearly seen and was glowing against the bare lighting of the room as Erwin looked up at Levi.

However, Erwin moved his gaze onto the card, turning it over and around. "A lot of people dislike the joker card. They say it's useless. Why need the joker when there are other cards that can do more?" His eyes returned to Levi. "What do you think?"

Levi just stood; lips still in a line. "I'm not the one who handles the cards."

"I guess you're right." Erwin brought his lips into a smile. "After all, it's the person who shuffles the deck that starts the game and ultimately decides which cards to hand out, but still," He said and leaned forward, looking at the joker card.

Erwin unfolded the bent corner and reached it out. "If we play our cards right and utilize each and every one correctly," He whispered, eyes glowing as he placed the joker card right over the two pyramids. The pyramid stood impossibly tall on the desk that was three times bigger than it. "We can reach the top."

Levi clenched his teeth.

"The meeting's in ten minutes."

"I can finish in five." Eren held his gaze, steely. He brought himself close to the desk and placed his elbows on it, propping up his arms. He rested his chin over his hands.

"There's something I need you to do."

* * *

A lot of the residents of the Shinganshina Apartment Complex were around or older than Eren's age group. There were very few kids that lived in Shiganshina just as when they had lived in the countryside, so Eren's perspective and lifestyle had only ever consisted of himself and his parents. That was why when Mikasa Ackerman had been adopted into the family not too long after they had moved into Shiganshina, it wouldn't be a lie to say that everything branched out differently. Although it's just a whisper of truth, Eren found himself being a little less _lonely_, per se, and his circle had suddenly grown larger to include more than just him and his parents.

Albeit, despite there being some rocky and odd patches along the way, it was obvious that _more_ made an impacting difference on Eren's vision of things.

That being said, though, _one_ was not enough after being accustomed to _more_, which was why Eren was currently finding himself bored out of his mind as he laid sprawled out on the carpet in his living room.

A portion of his navel was bare as he rubbed at his belly, his head turned to the side as he watched the television. He crinkled his nose when the cartoon show cut off into commercial and then sat up, stomach still revealed. He stretched himself, pointing his toes outward and then following it with his upper body, reaching forward to grasp his feet. After finishing up, Eren leaned back and smacked his lips, his gaze landing on his mother's back as she washed dishes.

"Mom," he started, coming out with a complaint in his tone. "When are Mikasa and Armin coming back?"

For a quick moment, Carla Jaeger—his mother—put the dishes in her hands down into the sink and then took a step back, looking up at the clock hanging overhead on the adjacent wall. "In a few more hours." And then she peered over her shoulder to look at Eren and then frowned. "Eren, honey, cover your stomach. Don't act like an old man."

As Carla returned her attention back onto the dishes, Eren pulled his shirt down and groaned, "How long will that be?"

"When it hits three o'clock, we can go pick them up." Carla responded and turned her head slightly towards him. "Until then, have you started on your homework? You know it's supposed to be done by the time you go back to school."

"Can I do it later?"

"Or we can start on it after I finish up here." She insisted.

"But I need Armin's help," Eren said glumly.

"You're not allowed to play until you've finished some of it, Eren." Carla said, finally finishing up and washing her hands. She wiped her hands off her apron. "Don't you think it would be better to finish it now so you could have more time to play later?"

"But mom," Eren started. "_Please_. I'll do homework later with Armin."

A bit reluctant, Carla pursed her lips. "_Eren_."

His mother ruled with an iron fist when it came to school work.

It had taken about thirty minutes for his mother to cave in when he complained of wanting a break. All she had done then was shake her head, rolled her eyes at the pleading look she was given, and forewarned him, saying, "Alright, but just for a bit. We need to get some homework done, Eren."

That was all Eren heard as he went straight for the door while nodding his head at his mother rapidly. "I'll be back soon, mom! I just want some fresh air!"

Mikasa always scolded him for making any sort of lie. However, Mikasa wasn't here, and after Eren shut the door behind him, he leaned against the wall with a curious line on his lips, looking down the hallway to both ends.

Eren squirmed a bit as he remained still with his back pressed.

In all honestly, Eren didn't like being completely alone out in the hall.

It was always quiet — _too_ quiet. For some reason, people came and went out of their apartments like ghosts, going in and out like there wasn't a sound to their footprints. Whenever it was like this, he sometimes felt as if someone would pop out of nowhere, which made it all the more unnerving for him to wander by himself. If Mikasa and Armin were here with him, he'd head down to the neighborhood park just across the street.

The only other time he'd ever find himself wandering the hall alone was when he went to visit Levi. In that sense, there was always a safe zone to come to whenever he left home. However, the problem here was that Eren had no idea as to whether Levi was home or not.

If other people were like ghosts, then Levi was a shadow. At times, even if it was least expected, he was always there, always around. It's a little far-fetched to believe, but Eren hadn't been wrong yet. Levi must definitely be home by now.

That thought alone was the only thing that ignited his legs forward into a sprint down the hall to Levi's room — Room 325. With any luck, Levi would finally be home.

He came to stop right in front of it, curling a fist together. He knocked. "Corporal Levi? Are you home yet?"

After hearing no response the first time, Eren tried again; this time, pressing his right ear against the door. "Helloooo? Corporal Levi!" There was nothing, and after a few more knocks, his guess was confirmed — Levi was not home either.

A small wail of a noise echoed from his throat as Eren pulled back, staring at Levi's door curiously. He reached for the doorknob again, jiggling it left and right just to see if he could get inside. It was no use; the door was locked as when Levi had left.

In the next moment, Eren dropped to the floor and then crawled in close towards the door. His face was practically against the small space underneath the door as he tried to peek in, seeing nothing but darkness and feeling a cool brush of air flowing against him.

It tingled him and his senses, making him shiver and letting an odd rush flood through him. However, he still remained in his place, pushing his face forward just for the sake of peeking into the room.

"Well, well, well. Do we have a criminal trying to break in, _hm_?"

At the sound intrusion of a voice, a yelp escaped his lips while he bumped his face against the door. He pulled away, landing on his bottom as his hands scrambled for the aching spot on his nose.

"_Isn't he just precious_?"

Eren jumped, realization finally dawning back into him as he then crawled forward quickly out of shock. When he turned, he blinked under an awkward tension when he looked up and came upon the sight of a girl.

A cackle escaped the girl's lips as she stood, rocking on the balls of her feet for a little before she came to stop, turning her full attention back to him. For a moment, Eren froze, dipping his head low as he watched her with furrowed eyebrows, careful.

The girl was older than him, dressed in a school uniform that could have been from one of the high schools within distance to Shiganshina — long, dark socks that went up to have her calves, a blue, plaited skirt that reached just a little over her knees, and a blue, vested-top with sleeves that touched at her elbows.

Her hair was black, but a dull shade of it. However, what set it apart from her uniform was the fact that her hair was neatly tied into braids that fell on both sides of her shoulders, clean and not a strand misplaced. And then it was her glasses that caught him funny — they were taped around the frames on both sides.

All those details, however, were short-lived to his attention span. His curiosity on them were gone from his mind as fast as they had done once his eyes landed on the smile spread across her lips, pointed towards him in a fashion that forced a bout of caution within him.

If her smile was stretched out any wider, Eren found that it would compete well with that of the Chesire Cat. Her smile was simple at surface glance; no sight of her teeth, no twitch at her corners. It was still, and Eren had the slightest urge to lean forward and look closer.

However, he had no idea what to think of this girl. She'd come from out of nowhere and he hadn't heard any footsteps thumping down the hall.

"Um, hi?"

"Hello, you cute little thing," the girl gushed, clasping her hands together into a ball as she leaned in forward. Eren couldn't pull away any farther with the door behind him. She started to coo, "Were you trying to break in? What a bad kid!"

"I wasn't!" Eren argued, groaning low under his breath. "I was just checking to see if…"

"You could break in?"

"I told you that I wasn't!"

"_You're so cute when you lie!_"

Although Eren had noticeably scowled at her, he did a double-take when he noticed that the girl herself hasn't spoken at that moment. Rather, it had come from the side, and when Eren gave a sideways glance, he was stunned to see a replica of the girl in front of him also walking towards his direction from the left.

He blinked once, then twice, and shook his head furiously, returning his gaze back to his left and getting his curiosities confirmed when he indeed saw that same girl there, stopping just a foot away from him. She was wearing the exact same thing, hairstyle completely similar, with the exception of the glasses — no tape.

"Twins…?" Eren said, incredulously.

His question went unheard, however, as the two girls ignored it and burst out into laughter, doubling in cackles and giggles. If there was a joke going on, Eren hadn't heard it. They were laughing as if he wasn't there, as if a secret jab of humor had run telepathically between them.

"Huh?"

"Isn't he so cute?!" The taped-glassed twin in front had exclaimed.

"He is, he is! So naïve!" The other agreed, guffawing.

"So innocent!"

"So young!"

"So helpless!"

"I'm not helpless!" Eren interrupted crisply, a little annoyed. He had no idea what was going on, but he could guess that they were making him sound like a baby.

"Oh?" The one with clean glasses raised an eyebrow, bending forward with both of her hands on her lap. Her twin had mirrored her movements, leaning in too close to him.

A small gulp ran down his throat, but Eren hadn't yielded to them, pulling back the upper part of his body away from him while remained grounded in the same spot. They were more than just weird. They were creepy beyond belief.

The girl continued, tilting her head and allowing a wide grin to creep up on her lips. Her eyes were first closed and then opened. There was something in her eyes that caught Eren off guard. Sounding sickly sweet, she spoke, "Does that mean you're not afraid of monsters?"

What did that mean?

Eren returned the gaze, his eyes gleaming. "I'm not afraid of monsters. I'm seven."

"And you're already brave?"

His eyes flickered to the other twin, who shared the same look in her sister's eyes — something gloomy. "Isn't that cute, sis?"

"Really _cute_." The other agreed. She raised a finger and motioned him close. Eren complied, but a little hesitantly. It's almost as if something about them changed. "It's super cute how you think you're not even scared of any monsters. _Oh gee, if only everyone can be as brave as you_."

Things were starting to turn weird as far as Eren can understand. He had no idea why they were going on and on about monsters. He's gotten over them the first day when Mikasa started being his sister. He's gotten over them when someone had to face the scary, green thing in Armin's closet. He's gotten over them because boys weren't supposed to be afraid of anything.

"Monsters aren't real," he said, just a little put off because he really has no idea what was going on at the moment. But he wasn't scared; this, he wasn't afraid to admit.

Both twins shared a look, letting a silence grow between them. Eren's head was pounding. Looking between both twins was making him dizzy. Their lecture towards him was making him lost.

"Don't you even know about the monsters around us?" one had spoken in a hushed tone.

It was almost like a secret.

"The monsters around us?" He repeated, curiously.

The other continued from there, "Yeah. The ones around us." She nodded. "They're everywhere."

"No, they're not!" Eren argued, an annoyed pout forming on his lips. How old did they think he was? Five again?

"Yes, they _are_." They both growled back. "They could be anyone and everyone! Your neighbors, your friends, your teacher, your mom—"

This time, Eren made sure to glare. His mom always told him to be nice when it came to girls, but these people were getting annoying with how they were trying to make him believe in monsters again. He got over them when he was five!

"My mom is not a monster!"

It felt like déjà vu to him, like he's said it before.

One of the girls sneered, "She could be. You never know."

"She's not!"

"And you're not cute at all!" The twin with broken glasses snapped. "You're going to regret everything if you don't protect yourself from monsters, kid! I'm telling you that everyone is a monster!"

"And what if they are? I'm not scared of them!" He jabbed a thumb against his chest, poking his tongue out at them.

"We're just warning you not to let yourself trust others so easily." The twin with clean glasses 'hmphed.' "I guess that's the only real cute thing about you. You're still so young and naïve that you think everything in the world is nice and find." She then spat. "You're the kind that monsters go after first. You're dead meat, kid."

Eren blinked and then his eyes widened. "Huh—?"

"_Eren_."

A slight load was lifted off his shoulders the moment Eren turned his head towards the left and met with the sight of Levi, clad in his police uniform and finally looking to be returning home.

"What are you doing out here?" Levi said.

His eyes flickered over to the girls on the side, their eyes drawn to a blank as they looked at him with a deadened stare. Their lips, however, had given way to what they truly felt — the corners pulled back into the slightest scowl. It was obvious that he wasn't welcomed.

Though, Levi had no care for how they felt towards him.

"Eren, what are you doing standing in front of _my_ apartment?"

It was barely noticeable but Levi saw them take a half-step. They wanted to leave; all Levi needed to do was figure out why.

"Corporal!" Eren trotted up to Levi, hands immediately grasping onto the police officer's shirt. He gave it a few tugs before continuing, "I just wanted to see if you were home yet." And then he pointed at the girls. "And then they came out of nowhere and called me cute! And they started talking about monsters and how everyone is a monster, even my mom!"

For a moment, Levi was silent. His gaze remained down on Eren. There was nothing wrong with the seven-year old at the very least; a little frantic and put off by what he's been told, but Levi could gather that Eren was more annoyed than freaked out.

That was good.

Levi reached his hand out to ruffle at Eren's hair, messing with the boy's brown-colored locks. A couple of groans and whines came from the young boy as he did so, but Levi didn't stop until he finally decided to look up at the girls and meet their gaze.

They hadn't faltered. They looked him dead in the eye.

"You two are from that all girls' high school."

If Hanji was here, she would've told him that his eyes had darkened a little. If Petra was here, she would've told him that it wasn't right to glare at young girls like he was, especially since he was a police officer.

_Police mannerisms_; it mattered.

"Did you two just come back from school?" he said as he crossed his arms over his chest, remaining firm and unyielding to their obvious apprehension towards him.

"_Yes, sir_."

They deserved an award for keeping up their appearance.

"_I see_." Levi then placed a hand on Eren's head, patting him. "He's not supposed to be outside by himself. It's a wonder why he's out here so long."

Hanji had told him once that sounding sincere wasn't his strongest point. He never cared for that anyways.

"Shouldn't you two girls be home doing homework?"

"_Of course, sir_." At least, he had no habit for getting easily provoked. Auruo had to face countless lectures for that during Police Academy years.

"It's not like we were thinking about doing any criminal activity that would make you look at us so _suspiciously_," one spat out sounding so innocently sickly. "We'd much rather be doing homework than do any heinous crime against Trost." The twin with the broken glasses finished, her lips stretched into a thin line.

If Levi was any other person, he'd be concerned for them.

"I've never known you two were this talkkative."

He's always thought that they were quiet as a mouse.

"We _have_ been taught to not talk to scary-looking people," one of them piped up, arms crossed. "And I hope this doesn't dampen your ego, but you look more like a thug than a good officer of the force," she spat.

Levi hadn't faltered one bit. His eyes glistened with a steel gaze.

"I've been told worse."

They sniffed their noises annoyed, pushing up their glasses simultaneously. It was then that Levi noticed the difference in their glasses. Well, it wasn't as if it mattered at this point.

Levi looked down at Eren once again and noticed the boy watching the two girls attentively. As much as he'd like to keep this game of twenty questions going, he needed to return back to the police department soon. However, there were still questions that needed answers, and if it meant cutting corners, then so be it.

"What were you two talking about?"

At this, Eren looked up at Levi.

The girls sneered, but nonetheless answered.

"Just about monsters," they said.

"He said you were telling him that everyone he knows is a monster." Levi said, eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"We were just trying to get him to know what the world is like!" They argued. "It's a scary place! Monsters do exist!"

"And what's your point?"

They were hesitant, a growl low under their breaths. There was something, Levi could tell. Whatever it was, they were hiding something.

"Our point is that we want him to know to trust _us_. People like us are the good guys here."

"What do you mean by 'us'?" Levi took a step forward, loomed close with a glint in his eyes. The girls faltered with a bout of uneasiness obvious on their expressions.

"My sister and I," It was the twin with the broken glasses that spoke — but with a crack in her voice. "We can watch out for him since we're so close and all, right, Eren?" They turned their eyes towards the seven-year old.

Eren blinked, completely lost for words. He managed to follow through for most of the conversation, but it was starting to go through one ear and out the other.

He was about to speak when Levi had interrupted him, speaking with a tone that Eren knew very well. Whenever he was lying, Levi would always speak in this tone.

"That's fine and all, but it's not necessary for you two to do that." Levi spoke, voice clear and tone suddenly magnified and echoed in the hallway.

"_I can watch over him myself just fine_."

* * *

**Fin.**

* * *

**End notes:**

**Not the best chapter, I know. One of the mistakes I made in the old version of this story is that things went dark really fast without any introduction into the characters. Things will get dark and suspenseful soon, I promise.**

_And in other news...Anime North! I really wish I could go! Some of my favorite tumblr artists will be there and I want their merch. D; (I'm sorry. Please don't mind me.)_


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